Torn Between Eras
by Celestial Guardian Kae
Summary: What's a miko to do? Coming to an age when all she wants is to have fun and live a normal life, Kagome Higurashi is torn between her friends and duty in the Feudal Era and living a normal life in her own time. Or is that life as normal as she thought?


Disclaimer: I do not own 'Inuyasha' or 'Yu-Yu Hakusho'. Nor do I own any of the characters and I am not affiliated, associated with, or in contact with anyone who does. 'Inuyasha' and company is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. To add to that, I do not own 'Yu-Yu Hakusho' or any of the characters of that series. They were created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I love both anime programs and credit needs to be given to two great minds for thinking of such wonderful people and worlds. I am a simple fan-girl who is borrowing the characters for the sole purpose of writing a work of fiction.

Summary: Kagome Higurashi finds trying to keep two lives separate is harder now than it was in school. New friends, new enemies...Old friends, old enemies...All fighting for her attention. What's a miko to do?

Pairings: The main pairings as of right now are completely undecided. We will see where the story takes me. Please, do not be displeased with me if the pairing turns out to be something other than what you wanted. The only set pairings are as follows: Yuu/Kei, San/Mir, Kuw/Yuk, and Inu/Kik. DO NOT VOTE FOR THE MAIN PAIRING!!! I will decide that for myself as the story moves along.

Rating: NC-17. This rating is in place to warn you of content not suitable for children under the age of 17. Please, do not take this lightly. While this first chapter doesn't seem very 'NC-17'-ish, as the story progresses, it will be there for a good reason.

Story Content: Comedy. Romance. Coarse language. Violence. Adult themes. Adult situations. Nudity. Graphic Content. Blood. Possible character death.

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Chapter 1 – While Kagome's Away

_Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone..._

_How true that little bit is. I have so many secrets that must be kept away from everyone around me. Sometimes I just want to scream all of them to the entire world. I hate keeping things from people and ultimately lying to them. I hate how complicated my life is now..._

The raven-haired girl growled in annoyance as she rolled away from the window and bright sunlight. She sleepily pondered her reasoning behind choosing the room with the east-facing window. And why had she turned down black-out curtains her brother had offered her? She pulled the large comforter over her head in an effort to block the sun and thoughts from her mind.

After remaining in bed, yet unable to grasp sleep again, she pulled her blankets away. Her eyes were immediately assaulted by the brightness that had invaded her room. Slowly, she sat up and looked around her room and she knew instantly why she had picked this room.

The large bay window facing the east was the best feature that the other room had lacked. Large closet, big enough even for her wardrobe. Spacious, with enough room to cartwheel, as well as hold her four-poster twin-size bed, desk, vanity table and dresser.

"Kagome Higurashi!" shouted a feminine voice from below the floor. "I know that it's Saturday, but if you think for one minute that you're going to sleep the day away, you're crazier than I thought!"

Kagome grumbled about uncaring roommates as she kicked the remainder of the covers from her legs. She placed her feet on the floor, her toes curling slightly at the contact with the cool wood surface. Not bothering to change out of her tank top and shorts, she walked down to the kitchen.

The brown-haired girl at the counter smiled as t he other glared icicles at her. She handed Kagome a cup of tea and leaned back. "Good morning, sunshine," she greeted cheerfully. She looked at the clock on the wall and laughed softly. "Well, afternoon, technically. How can you7 sleep the day away? Especially a Saturday? Really, Kagome, you're totally unbelievable."

Kagome smiled sarcastically over the rim of her cup. "Keiko, she started, "you of all people should know how important sleep is to someone like me. It's at this point in my life that it's even more necessary. I'm away from the rest of the family, not to mention Hojo and the girls. It's my chance to rest."

Keiko nodded her head in understanding. She knew how much her cousin had to put up with when it came to her over-caffeinated schoolmates. Keiko was more than happy to house the other girl for any amount of time. It was only on rare occasions that she got to spend any time at all with her long-distance relative. She had often entertained the thought of inviting Kagome to move in permanently, but was always unsure of what she would think.

Finishing the last of her tea, Keiko placed the up in the sink. "I know you wanted to rest, Kagome-chan," she informed the other girl, "but I thought that you might like to accompany me and Yuusuke to lunch."

Kagome placed her now empty cup in the sink with Keiko's. She thought for a moment while running her fingers through her unruly mane. "I don't want to intrude on your date with your boyfriend," she replied. "You both need the time together."

Keiko waved her hand dismissively at Kagome's answer. "Nonsense. You won't be intruding at all. All of Yuusuke's friends will be there as well. He hardly goes anywhere without the gang these days."

Kagome smiled as she turned to leave. "Give me a little bit to get ready," she called back. Her hands were instantly at her ears when a high-pitched squeal reached them. _Since when have my ears been so sensitive? _She wondered silently as she walked up the stairs. _Maybe I'm just spending too much time around Inuyasha._

Her hand went to her mouth and she gnawed on a nail as she thought about the silver-haired hanyou. He was going to be more than a little upset once he discovered that she was not at the shrine. She felt a wave of worry go through her as she thought of her mother and what the inu-hanyou would do. She knew that he would insist on searching for her, but prayed to Kami above that her scent would be too old and faded to follow.

Mentally shoving the imposing thoughts, Kagome slipped out of her sleeping garments and stepped into the shower. Turning on the hot water, she jumped as the cold liquid hit her back. Sighing as it slowly started to warm, she reached down and turned the other knob slightly. She leaned her head back and let the warm water run over her body, turning her skin a soft pink.

Spinning around so that she was under the shower head, Kagome wet her hair and started the long process of washing it. She reached behind herself and grabbed her favorite strawberry scented shampoo. After pouring an ample amount of the thick gel into her hand, she set the bottle down and lathered her coffied locks. Working the strands from top to bottom, Kagome gathered the sudsy mass and piled it atop her head.

While being careful to balance her hair, Kagome opened another bottle and poured it's contents onto a sponge. The gentle fragrance of sakura blossoms surrounded her as she worked the pouf into a soft foam. Slowly, she started with her arms and moved to her shoulders and chest. Making her way down her body, she took special care in not missing a single area.

Once satisfied with her work, she stepped under the spray and rinsed the soapy lather from her body. Leaning back slightly, she allowed her hair to fall back down and proceeded to rinse it out as well. Helping the water to rid her tresses of shampoo, she ran her fingers through several times. When the water ran clear again, she placed the accompanying conditioner in the palm of her hand and thoroughly covered her head. She let the cream sit a few moments before that, too, was rinsed out.

Wringing the long strands out, she turned the water off and stepped out of the tub. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel in an effort to stop the goosebumps that suddenly started to appear all over. She wrapped her hair in another towel and walked to her room. At the dresser, she pulled out pink panties and bra. Once she had them on, she walked to her closet and stared to to rummage through the clothes. She pulled out a hot pink, wrap-around blouse with wide sleeves and a black pair of flared jeans.

Pulling the jeans on, she smoothed out the wrinkles and sapped the buttons. Before she slipped on the blouse, Kagome took the towel off of her head and began brushing out the tangles. Once satisfied that there were none left, she twisted her hair up and held it in place with black chopsticks. Kagome looked herself over in the mirror before slipping the blouse over her head. She smoothed the fabric with her hands, pleased with the way she looked. She grabbed a pair of black boots and pulled them on over her stockinged feet. Pleased with her appearance, she nearly ran down the stairs and out the door.

Keiko waited impatiently by her car for her cousin. She glanced down at her watch and sighed just as the other female came running up. "It's about time, 'Gome-chan," she growled sarcastically. "Did you get lost in the closet?" She laughed as Kagome stuck out her tongue. "Come one, Kagome," she said as she opened the door to her Eclipse. "I'm sure the guys are already there and waiting."

The girls climbed into the are and left for the cafe.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, approximately 500 years in the past...

"GAAAAAAHHHH!!!! Somebody HEELLP!!!"

A thigh-high ball of red fur ran frantically through tall grasses and weeds toward a small village in the distance. Said red ball chanced a brief look over his shoulder. The sight of a very pissed looking inu-hanyou met his now wide eyes.

"Shippou," growled the hanyou, "when I get my claws on you, you are going to wish that you had never been born!"

Shippou's little paws carried him as fast as they could. "C'mon, Inuyasha," he panted heavily, "learn to take a joke!" He sped up as they neared the village and Kaede-baaba's hut.

"I'll show you a joke, you little runt! Now get back here!" Inuyasha began to pick up his pace just in time to trip over an unseen rock. Once again, he came face to face with his good friend, Mother Earth. His previous momentum moving him forward, he slid face first several feet, and growled with a mouthful of dirt.

Shippou looked back and skidded to a halt. He turned entirely and started laughing, clutching his sides. "Inuyasha," he managed to get out, "Kagome-chan is right! You do have a dirty mouth!" He laughed harder and harder until he was rolling around on his back.

The hanyou stood and spit the offending debris out of his mouth. He shook himself off in a very canine-like manner in order to rid himself of the dirt and grass that adorned his person. Silently, he stalked up to the unsuspecting kitsune kit and grabbed him by the back of the neck. Inuyasha brought the now panic stricken youkai child to his dirt-smudged face and glared freeing daggers at him.

Shippou shook fearfully as his imagination began running wild with the thoughts of all the evil things the hanyou was sure to do. "It was a j-joke," he stuttered. "K-Kagome taught me the song to tease Sango and Miroku."

Inuyasha knocked the kit on the head, then dropped the swirlyeyed child on the ground. "You sing that song around me again and I'll knock you out for a week," he growled as he stormed the remainder of the way to the village.

At Kaede-baaba's hut, he marched in and sat against the wall, the fang-sword, Tetsusaiga, laid across his knees. He directed his scowling gaze at the small fire burning in the center of the room and ignored the questioning looks that passed between the old miko, taijiya, and houshi.

Sango looked down at the blade in her own lap that she had been sharpening. The whet stone in her hand ran smoothly over the polished metal. Her eyes moved quickly to the silently fuming hanyou. "Where's Shippou-chan," she asked cautiously. "I thought that he was with you?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and gave his trademark, "Keh."

Sango sighed as she shook her head. "If Kagome were here, she'd 'sit' you so many times that you'd fall through the earth." She set her weapon on the floor next to her and rose to her feet. "Where is he?"

"I'm right here," came Shippou's soft voice. He entered the hut, rubbing the large lump on his head. He glanced once at Inuyasha before plopping down next to Miroku.

The silent houshi looked down at the young kitsune in sympathy. "If you stop rubbing it, the pain will go away faster," he said to the younger male in friendly advice.

Sango had returned to her previous place and was now watching the kit. "Shippou," she started gently, "why did Inuyasha leave such a big lump on your head?"

Shippou's hand came to cover his lips in order to hide a very small giggle that threatened to escape. Once he had composed himself, he brought his hand back down to his lap. "Well, you know that song that Kagome's always singing when you both are being silly?" he asked innocently.

Sango's skin paled slightly while Miroku smirked. "Ah, yes," he mused in remembrance. "I believe it goes something like...'Sango and Miroku, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes..." The young monk was instantly sprawled out, a sharp tap on the head from the taijiya sending him to the floor.

Sango looked down again at the kit, astonishment written all over her face. "Do I dare to ask whose names you used that would make our hot-tempered hanyou go after you like that?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Shippou's green eyes remained on his hands as he twiddled his thumbs. He glanced up at the still-fuming inu and took a deep breath. "I changed 'Sango and Miroku' to Kagome and Sesshoumaru..." he muttered.

All in the room, save the kitsune and inu-hanyou promptly took on the expression of a fish out of water. The hanyou once again began to glare at the youkai child. "I'm still not finished with you about it, runt," he grumbled. _What's he thinking, saying something like that about Kagome?_ He wondered to himself.

Kaede was the first to recover herself and she went back to tending the small fire in the center of the room. "Shippou," she said without looking up, "what in the world would make ye say such a thing? Especially about the one who has taken ye in as her own child?"

Shippou watched the old miko as she poked the flaming sticks, a look of guilt coming across his face. His gaze slowly slid from one person to the next, their own eyes taking him in with question. As each moment passed, he felt as if they were reading his very thoughts. He looked finally at the ill-tempered inu-hanyou and froze. The look promised much pain if he didn't tell them something. But what of Kagome's trust in him...? Would he throw it away just to save himself a couple bumps and bruises?

He cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest in an effort to make himself seem older and invincible. "I just wanted to see Inuyasha get angry," he lied. "It's worth the bruises to pick on him and get him angry." The younger demon stuck his tongue out at the hanyou. "So there, you big meanie!"

Inuyasha squinted his eyes in distrust and anger at Shippou. He knew the little twerp wasn't telling the truth. You didn't need a demon's sense of smell to tell when one's scent changed with that of a lie. "I'm gonna make sure you don't wake up for a week, Shippou!" he shouted as he leaped at the kit.

Shippou reacted as fast as he could and scrambled away from the crazed hanyou. He knew that if he didn't run fast, he would be laid out and unmoving before long. _Momma..._ he thought desperately, _I hope you appreciate me for this!!_ He ran out the door and back down the hill where their entanglement originated earlier that day. Those in the hut just shook their heads in disbelief.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Back again in the present...

Kagome stepped out of the small white car and looked around the packed parking lot. The drive over, while full of loud, high-pitched singing, was calm and relatively uneventful. Kagome did discover her dear cousin's colorful language directed towards the other drivers around them. Apparently Keiko had picked up some things while she had been away on her 'trips'. So much she was missing while searching for the Shikon no Kakera.

Keiko stepped out of the car just after her cousin and straighted her blue skirt. The thigh length material threatened to wrinkle and raise up despite the fact that she kept trying to tame it. Why she had decided on this outfit, she didn't know. The white blouse was tied at the bottom and left open to reveal a pastel green tank top underneath. _Classy and casual_, she mused to herself. _How do I manage to pull the look off without trying?_

She looked over at Kagome and was immediately drawn to her cousin's seemingly pensive mood. She knew the other girl didn't have much of a life due to constant...illnesses. She felt bad for Kagome. She didn't know all of what the younger girl had to go through, but she knew enough of what did go on to know that Kagome didn't like to let people in. She walked around to Kagome's side and placed her hand on her cousin's shoulder. She smiled as Kagome jumped slightly. "Don't worry," she assured her. "You only have to worry about Yuusuke and Kuwabara. They get into fights all the time for no reason. Hiei, if he's even here, will keep to himself and only give one syllable answers if he absolutely must. Kur...I mean, Shuiichi, is a total gentleman. The way he talks is like some really rich person would talk."

Kagome's eyes were nearly bugging out of her head. So much to know about four people. "Right..." she said as she started towards the cafe. "And when do the flying monkeys appear?" She turned away and slung her purse over her shoulder. "You sure did gather a lot of friends over the years." She instantly became sad when she thought of all the times she'd stood the girls and Hojo up. "You know, I sometimes wish that I had never learned about what I carried. Maybe then my life would be simple. Like yours is..."

Keiko caught up to her cousin and sighed softly. "Kagome, I'll be honest with you. My life is anything but simple. With the guys, you never know what the day is going to bring." She looked ahead of them and into the cafe window. "I'm not gonna say anything, but with you being a miko, you'll find out some things that you probably didn't know." She held the door for the other girl who was now giving her a look like she was crazy.

The girls walked into the busy cafe and Keiko started searching the room for the group. Kagome was about to ask her what she meant when the other grabbed her arm and nearly ripped it out of it's socket. Patrons who were already seated looked up at the two as they practically ran past their tables and mumbled to themselves about rude teenagers. Kagome apologized profusely as they passed each one and came close to bumping into them.

"Keiko," Kagome complained, "you're going to dislocate my arm and you're trampling into everyone else." She raised her eyebrows, expecting an apology but was sadly disappointed when the other just smiled at her. Kagome opened her mouth, ready to give her cousin a piece of her mind when she was instantly hit by strange auras. "Keiko...exactly who are your friends?"

Keiko stopped at a large table surrounded by overly-obnoxious young adults. She pulled Kagome up next to her and introduced her to her friends. "Hey!" she nearly screamed. A bright smile plastered itself on her face when she had the group's full attention. "If you all would quiet down for just a moment, I'd like to introduce you to someone." She gently pushed Kagome, who had turned quite pale and was looking from one man to the next, forward. "This is my cousin, Kagome Higurashi."

Kagome's eyes fell warily on each of the men. _What's going on??_ she thought in a panic. _There aren't supposed to be demons in this time..._ Her miko powers were screaming at her to run, to protect herself and everyone else here. But...how could she have not noticed any of them before. Sure, Tokyo was big, but with the amount of youki and spiritual energy that they were letting off, even Inuyasha should have been able to sense them at some point.

"Nice to meet you all," she greeted nervously as she bowed at the waist. Her eyes riveted from one male to the next, her senses screaming at her. She felt herself growing even more anxious as they looked her over. _They know..._ she thought in sudden panic. _But how? Keiko wouldn't ever tell them, so they can't know. Then why don't they say something?_

A man with bright orange hair stood and smiled cheerfully. "Heya, Kagome," he said in a gruff, but friendly, voice. "I'm Kazuma Kuwabara."

Kagome showed a small smile as the others were introduced to her.

Keiko smiled at Kuwabara before going on to the others. "I know you've seen pictures of him and I've talked about him almost non-stop," she started, "but you've never gotten to meet him." Keiko directed her cousin's gaze to the other side of the table. "This is my boyfriend, Yuusuke Urameshi."

Yuusuke's attention was pulled away from the drink in front of him at the sound of his name being mentioned. He gifted Keiko with a charming smile that would knock any girl off of her feet. He moved his dark eyes from the love of his life over to the woman next to her. Recognition hit him square in the gut and he pointed an accusing finger at her. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "I know you!"

Keiko and Kagome looked at each other before turning back to him. "You do?" they replied in shocked unison. "How?"

"Now that was just creepy," commented one of the unintroduced men.

Kagome turned toward him and instantly fell in love with the deep red mass on top of his head. Before she could stop herself, she had reached out and started to run her fingers through the fiery locks. As she lost herself and grew calm, her eyes slid closed and everything around her seemed to just drift away.

She once again opened her eyes and her warm gaze was met by soft gold orbs. She jumped back and let out a high-pitched, "Eep!"

The man..._No, not a man. A youkai, _she thought to herself. _A very handsome one, too._

The silver-haired demon looked at the ningen onna with curiosity. "How did you manage to get in here?" he asked, his voice covered with wonder and amusement. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked her over more thoroughly. "A miko. Untrained, yet powerful. I'd guess that you have no idea how powerful as of yet, am I correct?"

Kagome blinked her eyes a couple of times in surprise at him. She looked around them quickly, trying to figure out exactly where she had gone. "What is this place...?" she demanded as fear started to crawl upon her. "How did I get here?" She tried to back away from the youkai male but found that she was trapped by what seemed to be an invisible wall.

He smiled at her, trying to calm her down. "You are in my...sanctuary," he replied as he tried to find the right words. "As for how you got here..." his words drifted off as the girl's form started to fade. He watched as she disappeared and smirked to himself. "Delightful, Red..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome looked around as her mind was brought back to the cafe and the present. She looked down at her hands and pulled them back to her sides as quickly as she could. A blush covered her face as everyone focused their attentions on her and the red-head in front of her.

Kuwabara blinked in confusion. "Are you alright?" he asked with genuine concern. "You kinda spaced out...and what language was that?"

She glanced up at Kuwabara then back at the red-head. "I'm sorry..." she started to back away from the group, but Keiko's hand stopped her.

"Kagome," she pleaded, "you don't have to leave. You can trust them. They'll understand." She held onto her cousin's hands with her own and tried to calm her frantic state. "Please, Kagome-chan. Don't leave."

Kagome gazed sadly at the group before looked at the other girl. "I'm can't," she whispered. "I'm sorry..." She harshly ripped her hands away and ran out of the cafe.

The men at the table watched the new woman run out with questioning. Keiko spun around and gave the red-head a wondering look. "What exactly was that, Kurama?" she asked heatedly. "What was that about? And what were you saying to each other?"

Kurama had a far-off look on his face as he thought of Keiko's questions. "I'm not exactly sure, Keiko," he returned. He took a couple of thoughtful breaths as he tried to come up with the right words to explain it. "She...she somehow brought her mind...connected her mind, I guess, with mine and Yokou's minds. She was speaking to him...in kitsune..." He looked up with concern. "She's not a youkai...she's a miko. So how can she do that?"

Keiko shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I cannot betray her confidence and tell you that. It's up to Kagome whether or not she tells you what's going on." She sat down next to Yuusuke and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Yuusuke? How DO you know Kagome?"

Yuusuke sighed softly. "That's the girl that my brother-in-law, Hojo, likes," he explained. "All I know is that she misses a lot of school because she's always sick..."

Kuwabara's eyes took on a concerned look. "She seemed healthy to me," he commented.

Keiko sighed inwardly. _If you guys only knew..._ She looked over at Kurama who had yet to look away from the direction Kagome had run in. _Let them in, Kagome. They'd understand more than you know..._

End Chapter 1

A/N: All good writers welcome criticism of all sorts. I love constructive criticism to help me make the story more enjoyable for all of you. Please, no flames. If there is something you don't like about how the story is going, or if there is something that has raised a question in your mind, feel free to contact me. You can reach me at or you can find me on Thank you everyone!


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